Trump GOES NUTS over Kamala as HE DESTROYS GOVT

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: "Trump GOES NUTS over Kamala as HE DESTROYS GOVT" Summary

Release Date: February 1, 2025

In this riveting episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, hosted by the Meiselas brothers—Ben, Brett, and Jordy—Ben Miceli takes center stage to dissect the escalating feud between former President Donald Trump and CBS, particularly focusing on the infamous 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. This episode delves deep into Trump's relentless legal battles, the broader implications for American democracy, and the underlying tensions within major media corporations.

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1. The Genesis of the Feud

Timestamp [00:01] - Kamala Harris on Trump's Avoidance of 60 Minutes

The episode opens with a reference to Vice President Kamala Harris highlighting Donald Trump's reluctance to participate in a 60 Minutes interview—a traditional staple for major party candidates for over fifty years.

• Kamala Harris: "He is unwilling to do a 60 Minutes interview like every other major party candidate has done for more than half a century." ([00:01])

Ben Miceli elaborates on this, detailing how Trump's refusal led to Harris engaging with CBS, setting the stage for their ongoing conflict.

• Ben Miceli: "Donald Trump refused to sit for that interview. Kamala Harris sat for the interview. And then right before the election, Donald Trump sued CBS for $10 billion." ([00:14])

2. The $10 Billion Lawsuit Against CBS

Ben meticulously unpacks Trump's lawsuit against CBS, emphasizing its dubious nature and underlying motives.

• Ben Miceli: "Donald Trump filed the most bogus lawsuit saying that it was an unfair business practice in Texas and that's why he was judge shopping there." ([02:30])

He criticizes the legitimacy of the lawsuit, labeling it as a personal vendetta rather than a matter of business ethics. The lawsuit was filed in Texas before Trump's election victory, indicating premeditation beyond the election context.

3. Escalation: Trump’s Broader Assaults on Government and Media

Moving beyond the lawsuit, Ben discusses Trump's broader actions that he believes are detrimental to American governance and societal stability.

• Ben Miceli: "As egg prices are shooting up higher than ever, as groceries are going higher, as gas prices are going on, as unions are being screwed, as Elon Musk is taking over federal agencies..." ([03:10])

He paints a grim picture of Trump's impact, linking his personal vendettas to national crises such as rising costs of living, undermining of unions, and questionable management of federal agencies.

4. FCC's Involvement and Media Suppression

The conversation pivots to Trump's recent directive to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate CBS 60 Minutes, viewing it as retaliation for the Harris interview.

• Ben Miceli: "Donald Trump has now ordered the FCC to open up a formal inquiry against CBS in 60 Minutes..." ([04:00])

This move is portrayed as part of Trump's pattern of using governmental bodies to settle personal scores, thereby threatening the independence of regulatory agencies.

5. Internal Struggles Within CBS and Paramount

Ben sheds light on the internal turmoil within CBS and its parent company, Paramount, suggesting that corporate maneuvers are prioritized over journalistic integrity.

• Ben Miceli: "Paramount is trying to sell itself to another oligarchical company for tens of billions of dollars..." ([05:00])

He argues that the impending merger, which requires Department of Justice (DOJ) approval, is being obstructed by Trump's interventions, reflecting a clash between corporate ambitions and political vendettas.

6. Notable Quotes and Expert Opinions

Throughout the episode, Ben incorporates significant quotes and expert insights to bolster his analysis.

• Donald Trump: On 60 Minutes, "Think of it. 60 Minutes, CBS. And they ought to lose their license and they ought to take it off the air. It's the biggest."

• Donald Trump: Regarding an apology from CBS, "It's terrible. So we're waiting for an apology." ([05:05])

• Howard Stern (October 8, 2024): During an interview with Kamala Harris, expresses astonishment at Trump's refusal to be fact-checked, enhancing the narrative of Trump's avoidance of media scrutiny. ([05:33])

• Anna Gomez, FCC Commissioner: Provides a critical perspective on the FCC's actions, asserting that the investigation into CBS is retaliatory and undermines the agency's impartiality.

  • Anna Gomez: "This is a retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is perceived to be unfavorable." ([07:21])

  • Anna Gomez: "The Communications act clearly prohibits the commission from censoring broadcasts. And the First Amendment protects journalistic decisions against government intimidation." ([07:21])

7. The Impact on American Democracy and Media Freedom

Ben emphasizes the broader implications of Trump's actions, arguing that such maneuvers threaten the very foundation of American democracy by undermining free press and regulatory independence.

• Ben Miceli: "This is the tactics of authoritarianism meets oligarchy. This is what it looks like in Russia, folks." ([08:00])

He draws parallels between Trump's tactics and authoritarian regimes, highlighting the dangers of concentrated power being used to suppress dissenting voices in the media.

8. Closing Remarks and Call to Action

Ben concludes by reaffirming The MeidasTouch Network's commitment to fearless and unapologetic reporting. He urges listeners to subscribe and support their mission to expose and resist authoritarian tendencies.

• Ben Miceli: "We will report fearlessly, unapologetically..." ([08:30])

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Conclusion

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast offers a comprehensive and critical examination of Donald Trump's legal and political strategies against CBS, framed within a larger context of threats to democratic institutions and media freedoms. Through detailed analysis, expert opinions, and compelling quotes, Ben Miceli provides listeners with a thorough understanding of the stakes involved and the pervasive influence of power dynamics in American politics.

For those seeking an in-depth exploration of current political conflicts and their implications on democracy, this episode serves as an essential listen, delivering information with the distinctive blend of humor and brotherly banter that The MeidasTouch Network is renowned for.

Transcript

[Kamala Harris]

He is unwilling to do a 60 Minutes interview like every other major party candidate has done for more than half a century.

[Ben Miceli]

That was on the campaign. And former Vice President Kamala Harris said Donald Trump was afraid to do an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS. Donald Trump refused to sit for that interview. Kamala Harris sat for the interview. And then right before the election, Donald Trump sued CBS for $10 billion. Donald Trump judge shopped for a pro maga federal judge in Texas, a judge named Matthew Kaczmarek. Trump filed the case there. And then when Trump won the election, he pursued his petty grievances against CBS because he believes CBS embarrassed him by doing an interview with now former Vice President Kamala Harris and then wanting to fact check Donald Trump. Donald Trump claimed that CBS selectively edited their interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, which was and is entirely false. But Donald Trump filed the most bogus lawsuit saying that it was an unfair business practice in Texas and that's why he was judge shopping there. Well, let me tell you what Donald Trump is doing right now, something I believe is in my opinion, entirely unlawful. So let's be clear, as egg prices are shooting up higher than ever, as groceries are going higher, as gas prices are going on, as unions are being screwed, as Elon Musk is taking over federal agencies, seizing potentially government data, freezing federal employees out of their own systems, gutting key agencies, forcing out the head of the faa, as we're seeing like now, what plane crashes happening almost on a daily basis. Donald Trump has now ordered the FCC to open up a formal inquiry against CBS in 60 Minutes, which is owned by Paramount, demanding they comply with a series of requests by the government. So Donald Trump is in a private lawsuit against CBS in federal court in Texas. He and cbs, which is owned by Paramount, asked that Trump, that pro Trump judge in Texas, to delay proceedings in Texas while settlement, so called settlement talks are taking place. So Paramount is trying to sell itself to another oligarchical company for tens of billions of dollars. And they know that that requires DOJ approval of a merger or acquisition. Trump and the DOJ are likely indicating they will block that merger. And also CBS and Paramount think that, you know, that if Donald Trump pursues investigations against them from the FCC, that will also work to stop the merger that the parent company of CBS that Paramount is trying to engage in. So while these private settlement talks are taking place, Trump has the FCC send a letter to Paramount ordering that they turn over information about the interview with Kamala Harris that Donald Trump was afraid to do. And what we're learning from the New York Times is that CBS News is is set to hand over now the transcript of the 60 Minutes interview to the FCC which had previous which it previously would not do. Now obviously Donald Trump has forced Meta previously Facebook to settle a personal grievance lawsuit that Donald Trump filed against them for $25 million. Purportedly 23 million is going to go to a future Library. Trump got ABC to settle for 15 million DOL. And now his latest target is CBS. But. And he's obsessing over Kamala Harris right now. So as again planes are crashing. Okay. As America is far less safe, we all feel less safe as a result of Donald Trump. He's having the FCC pursue some that he felt humiliated by Kamala Harris. What a pathetic leak. Weak individual. But if you were following the campaign as we were reporting on this, Trump consistently said that this is what he was going to do. October 21, 2024. Trump says he wants unchecked power to take CBS off the air because he doesn't like 60 Minutes. Play the clip.

[Donald Trump]

Think of it. 60 Minutes, CBS. And they ought to lose their license and they ought to take it off the air. It's the biggest.

[Ben Miceli]

October 6, 2024. Trump says he's going to make 60 Minutes apologize to him for fact checking his lies. Play the clip.

[Donald Trump]

It's terrible. So we're waiting for an apology. They want to do it again. I'll do it again. But they got to. Don't you think I should make them apologize?

[Ben Miceli]

Here was an interview we played. This was of Howard Stern and Vice President Kamala Harris where they Talked about the 60 Minutes issue. This is October 8, 2024. Here, play this clip.

[Howard Stern]

You taught you coming here. You're going. You went on the View this morning. You're going to the shows. You did 60 Minutes, by the way. I thought what was so amazing about 60 minutes is the fact that Trump turned it down.

[Kamala Harris]

Yeah.

[Howard Stern]

I mean, it just says so much. He didn't want to be fact checked. This is maddening. This is insanity. What do you mean you don't want to be fact checked?

[Kamala Harris]

I think that, you know, Howard, people ask me like, what do you think is going on and what is the tension here? What's at stake? And there are many things and I can be much more articulate than what I'm going to say. But ultimately I do believe that this is an election that is about strength versus weakness.

[Howard Stern]

Yeah.

[Kamala Harris]

And weakness as projected by someone who puts himself in front of the American people and does not have the strength to stand in defense of their needs, their dreams, their desires, the work that must happen to make sure that we are a secure nation, that we are nurturing and protecting our alliances around the world, that we are supporting America's military, that we are fighting to bring the cost of living down for working families, that we are building businesses, building growth.

[Ben Miceli]

And this is October 20, 2024. Donald Trump play the clip. But you go a step further and you say CBS should lose its license.

[Donald Trump]

Sure. Well, I've never seen anything like it. She gave a horrible, incompetent dancer on a news program. It's not an entertainment program. It's. They call it news. They say it's a number one news program.

[Ben Miceli]

Now, one of the things an FCC commissioner who is livid at the fact that the Republican, now the Republican led FCC is pushing a formal investigation of cbs. Here's what Anna Gomez says. Let's be clear. This is a retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is perceived to be unfavorable. It is designed to instill fear in broadcast stations and influence a network's editorial decision. This is an FCC commissioner, by the way, a whistleblower, saying this is what's going on. During these last two weeks, the FCC has shown a concerning pattern of implementing the will of the administration on issues that go far beyond our core responsibilities. These actions disregard longstanding norms and ignore the mandate granted by Congress to the FCC to act as an independent agency. They also set a dangerous precedent that threatens to undermine trust in the agency's role as an impartial regulator. This latest action to weaponize our broadcast licensing authority is no different. It revives a complaint that had been previously dismissed by FCC experts due to lack of evidence and because it fell far short of the high standard needed for agency action. She goes on to say, let's be clear, this is a retaliatory move. And the Communications act clearly prohibits the commission from censoring broadcasts. And the First Amendment protects journalistic decisions against government intimidation. We must respect the rule of law, uphold the Constitution, and safeguard the public trust for broadcasters.

[Midas Touch Host]

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[Ben Miceli]

One of the things I believe that's happening behind the scenes is that the people who work at 60 Minutes are pissed that their oligarch bosses at Paramount that want to sell everything to a new company are forcing their editorial hand and making them look utterly pathetic while Paramount wants to do this settlement kiss the ring so that they could make billions of dollars by selling to another oligarch. It's all about the money for these fools, for these pathetic oligarchs at the expense of we the people. While prices go up, while we get screwed and the oligarchs sit front row at the inauguration. These are the tactics of authoritarianism meets oligarchy. This is what it looks like in Russia, folks. We're going to report here every day on the Midas Touch Network until they rip this microphone from my very hands. We will report fearlessly, unapologetically is why I ask if you can hit subscribe, help us get to 4 million subscribers. I want to try to reach that soon. And if you can Also check out Midasplus.com M E I D A S P L U S.com it would be very helpful to us and subscribe there. Thanks for watching and have a great day.

[Midas Touch Host]

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